Car Review: Porsche Boxster S

Porsche Boxster

This week we test-drove the high-speed roadster form Porsche, the Boxster S. The Boxster is the fastest selling Porsche in history and it's easy to see why. All Boxsters feature a mid-engine, six-cylinder boxer engine, a wonderful throaty exhaust note, and the excitement of top-down driving.

The Boxster delivers a well-balanced weight distribution, solid chassis construction, and incredibly precise steering. Add to all that it's beautiful, curvaceous styling, a slick gearbox, and legendary Porsche heritage, and you have a package that is hard to beat. With a base price of under $42,000 and the cachet of driving a Porsche, what more can a guy ask for?

The Boxster S commands an extra $9000, but it's money well spent. Displacement for the 24-valve DOHC horizontally opposed six jumps from 2.7 to 3.2 liters, resulting in 250 horsepower at 6250 rpm, compared to 217 in the regular version of the Boxster. Torque gets a healthy boost, from 192 to 225 lb-ft at 4500 rpm. 0-60 time is down from 6.1 to 5.7 seconds.

Porsche Boxster

The six-speed transmission makes keeping the rpms boiling a delight, while the wider tires and stiffened suspension take handling to another level. The perfect weight balance can be attributed to the engine's placement between the front and rear axles, akin to the set-up in many high performance race cars.

visual cues

You can recognize the S by its red brake calipers, dual exhaust tailpipes and titanium colored front and side air intakes and windshield trim. Included in the price increase is a slew of additional equipment, such as cruise control, upgraded tires, and alarm system.

The convertible soft top takes 12 seconds to retract, and operation is easy, requiring manual unlatching of a safety latch. Trunk space, at 9.1 cubic feet, is much larger than either the BMW Z3 or the Mercedes SLK, thanks to the presence of two trunks- one up front and one in back. The Boxster is 10 inches longer and slightly wider than the Teutonic pair.P>

Porsche Boxster

Standard transmission is a five-speed manual or the base model, and a six-speed for the S. An available Tiptronic version is an automatic that allows manual gear changes by toggling a switching located on the steering wheel. While its expensive at $3,150, it's better than having the wife or girlfriend ruin your transmission.

Interior room is spacious for a two-seater, with solid bucket seats covered in leather. The gauges consist of three large, round analog pods, informing the driver of speed, rpms, fuel, and coolant temperature. All of these feature digital readings at the bottom of each pod, giving a modernized touch to the classical layout.

Behind the seats are two steel tube hoops, providing rollover protection for anyone that decides to have a little too much fun with the Boxster. Added safety comes from dual airbags, side impact protection and adjustable three-point seatbelts.